Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for planning and organizing day-to-day activities in an easily understandable and efficient manner. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for planning and organizing a schedule using a series of questionnaire modules to identify and plan various types of activities and events. Such activities include day-to-day occurrences (i.e., meetings, due dates), recurring events (i.e., birthdays, anniversaries), and long-term plans (i.e., goals, vacations, project completion dates).
With the hectic lifestyles imposed by today""s society, most people are faced with the burden of having to divide the limited time they have each day to all the demands of work, family, community responsibility, professional development and recreation. People are burdened even more when the planning for how to divide their time includes having to identify long-term goals or tasks that do not have set timetables or completion dates. Typically, people rely on conventional paper calendars, date books, reminder notes, etc. to help keep them aware of their daily schedules and time constraints. However, such manual systems are limited to providing only the medium for displaying activities already identified and planned. These systems lack any type of mechanism or guidance for efficiently identifying, planning and coordinating events for a user. They especially lack any mechanism or guidance for efficiently identifying, planning and coordinating long-term goals or tasks having no set timetables or completion dates. Even more, these systems lack any mechanism or guidance for efficiently identifying, planning and coordinating long-term goals or tasks that must be carried over from week-to-week, month-to-month or even year-to-year; these are goals or tasks that are carried over because they are either delayed or simply recur on a regular basis.
Very often, people rely on the work of secretaries or administrative assistants to plan and maintain their schedules. Unfortunately, secretaries and administrative assistants are themselves relying on conventional paper calendars, date books, and reminder notes.
With current computer technology, software packages for calendars, date books, xe2x80x9cday planners,xe2x80x9d etc. are readily available. However, like the manual systems, these software packages are no more than computerized versions of the conventional paper calendars, date books, and reminder notes. They too provide nothing more than a medium for displaying activities already identified and planned, albeit more efficient and visually pleasing.
In view of the problems and deficiencies in the prior art, a main object of the present invention is to provide a system for identifying and efficiently monitoring one""s personal and/or professional goals.
Specifically, a main object of the present invention therefore is to provide a system for personalized and customized time management whereby a person may identify and efficiently monitor his/her personal and/or professional goals.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system of questionnaire modules for efficiently identifying, planning and coordinating not only various activities and events, but also long-term goals and tasks that have no set timetables or completion dates or that must be carried over into succeeding weeks, months or years.
Accordingly, a further object of the invention is to provide a system for generating a display of those identified activities, events, long-term goals and tasks in a calendar-style format.
An even further object of the invention is to provide a system for generating a display of the identified goals and tasks in a customized task list format.
An even further object of the invention is to provide a system for generating a display of identified activities, events, long-term goals and tasks in both a calendar-style format and a customized task list format, where the calendar and customized task lists may be generated using pertinent data from prior calendars and customized task lists.
Consequently, a further object of the invention is to provide a system for generating a display of identified activities, events, long-term goals and tasks in both a calendar-style format and a customized task list format, where the calendar and customized task lists may be generated periodically in a systematic manner.
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a method that comprises the steps of providing at least one data module for generating data for a specific topic area of events and tasks; prompting a user to provide data based on the specific topic area of the at least one data module; categorizing the data inputted by the user into appointment data and task data; inputting the appointment data into a calendar framework; inputting the task data into a task list framework; and generating an output calendar and task list based on the calendar and task list frameworks.
In a second aspect, the invention is directed to a method that comprises the steps of providing a plurality of data module, each module for generating data for a specific category of events and tasks; prompting a user to select at least one of the plurality of data modules; prompting the user to provide data based on the specific category of the at least one selected data module; inputting from the user data in response to the prompting; categorizing the data inputted by the user into appointment data and task data; inputting the appointment data into a calendar framework; inputting the task data into a task list framework; selecting a format for an output calendar and task list to be generated; and generating the output calendar and task list based on the calendar and task list frameworks, and the selected format.
In a further aspect, the invention is directed to a system that comprises at least one data module for generating data for a specific category of events and tasks, means for inputting data from a user, means for processing the data inputted from the user for the data module, and means for generating an output calendar and task list. The data module includes means for prompting a user to provide data based on the specific category of events and tasks to which the data module is directed. The processing means includes means for categorizing the data inputted by the user into appointment data and task data, means for inputting the appointment data into a calendar framework, and means for inputting the task data into a task list framework.
In an even further aspect, the invention is directed to a system that comprises a plurality of data modules, each for generating data for a specific category of events and tasks; means for inputting data from the user including means for selecting at least one of the data modules, means for processing the data inputted from the user for the selected data module; and means for generating an output calendar and task list. Each data module includes means for prompting a user to provide data based on the specific category of the module. The processing means includes means for categorizing the data inputted by the user into appointment data and task data, means for inputting the appointment data into a calendar framework and means for inputting the task data into a task list framework.